


William

by o666666



Series: Post-series [4]
Category: The X-Files
Genre: F/M, Post-Episode: s11e10 My Struggle IV, Post-Season/Series 11
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-18
Updated: 2020-02-18
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:27:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 401
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22792471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/o666666/pseuds/o666666
Summary: Scully has a “William” tattoo where GA has her “P” tattoo.
Relationships: Fox Mulder/Dana Scully
Series: Post-series [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1638604
Comments: 1
Kudos: 50





	William

Scully is wearing a “tankini” to the beach to cover her pregnant belly, through which her belly button protrudes like the top of a gourd. It’s adorable. And shows just enough of her abdomen that when she reaches over to grab a water bottle from the cooler, Jackson exclaims, “What is _that?_ ”

She yanks her top down and sips her water.

“You have a _tattoo?_ ” he asks, excited as always to discover an aspect of his mother that is rebellious and cool.

“Two,” she says, and keeps her eyes even on the ocean.

His face opens like Mulder’s does when he’s interested: tell me more, tell me more. Mulder himself sits to Scully’s other side, munching his roast beef in silence. He’s leaving her hanging. He’s been telling her since Jackson came home: Show him.

“A snake on my back,” Scully points to the spot, “and this one.”

“What’s this one?”

Scully swallows. And remembers: the artist in Arizona who made her wait to sober up before tattooing; how blood dripped onto the seam of her underwear; Mulder’s voice when she got home, when she showed him, when he said “ _Oh_ , honey” and opened his arms and she fell into them, broken and stinky and missing her baby so hard she’d taken his name to her skin if only to have that one bit of him forever—some shorthand for the phantom weight in her arms.

It’s on her left ovary. She never thought she’d have another child. She wanted him back in her body; she’d put him there. _William_ , in bold cursive.

She hadn’t even known his name.

“For you,” she says quietly, lifting her bathing suit. _William_. “It stretched.” (For she never thought she’d have another child.)

He looks at her, and he has her own eyes. “Can I touch it?”

She nods, and he puts two fingers to the letters—and the tiger stripe through them—as if taking a pulse.

“I like it.”

She is blindsided, as daily.

Her baby. Her son. _William_. And she gets to know him.

“I’m glad.”

His voice is scratchy. “I’m gonna take a walk, okay?”

“‘kay.” He stands and she squeezes his hand as it leaves her tummy.

Then she watches him, yards away, testing the water. He is white-pale, too tall.

“He thinks you’re a badass now,” Mulder whispers, and leans over to kiss her temple. “I’m proud of you.”


End file.
